One of the problems facing owners of vending machines is destruction of their coin operated machines by thieves, both professional and amateur. When one tries to break into a machine, the destruction of the machine is the only way to reach the coin compartment. This wanton destruction of expensive vending machines calls for a specialized burglar alarm.
This invention is especially appropriate for use with newspaper vending racks. Most newspaper vending racks are formed of two parts. The top part includes a locked coin compartment which contains a coin receiving mechanism. Beneath the coin compartment is a newspaper compartment with a hinged door which is unlatched when the appropriate amount of money is deposited in the coin receiving mechanism. The vending racks are often anchored to their position by chains wrapped around sign posts or mail boxes. However, thieves often cut the chain anchoring the rack to its location.
No burglar alarms presently address the specific problems of vending machines. Vending machines are usually tampered with by amateurs who attempt to break into the rack and fail, but in the process damage the vending machine. More experienced thieves may have the equipment to seize an entire vending machine and remove it to a remote location before breaking into the coin compartment.
An alarm system designed to deal with both modes of theft must take into consideration the customers who buy goods from the rack. Slamming the door must not set off the alarm. Getting money out of the coin return should not set the alarm off and some shaking of the rack should not set off the alarm.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an alarm device appropriate for use in vending machines.
It is another object of the invention to provide an alarm system especially designed for newspaper vending machines which is easily installed in conventional newspaper vending racks.
It is another object of the present invention to sound an alarm upon the occurrence of certain movements of a vending machine at the machine's location to help scare any thief and to alert the authorities to criminal activity.